


But a Dream

by pathethicwordsmyth (TobiasGray)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ilvermorny Summer School 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobiasGray/pseuds/pathethicwordsmyth
Summary: It was supposed to be a regular charms class but sometimes it seems, magic does what it wants to do.
Comments: 4
Collections: Summer School 2020





	But a Dream

Alexander Gray stood outside of the Charms classroom. It was his first class and he was ready to learn magic. All summer he had been working feverishly at home trying to hone up his magical skills before he went to the illustrious magical school, Ilvermorny.

He came from a long line of magical folk all of vary degree but he knew that it was his destiny to stand out. His family was quiet and unassuming but even from a young age he knew he was destined for something greater. He didn't want to be one of the Grays that nobody remembered, he wanted to be one of the Grays that strove to make a difference in the world. Whatever form that might happen to take.

He took a deep breath to steel himself and then pushed the door open. As a member of the Pukwudgie House he had a bit of a struggle ahead of him. Many of the other students were quick to remind Pukwudgies that they weren't really reknown for much. Sure they had their fine assortment of different skilled students but when people talked about the alumni of Ilvermorny somehow not many Pukwudgies made it into the conversation. Quiet, unassuming. These were words that he was going to have to break past if he was going to fulfill his destiny.

"Alright students, please take your seats." said Professor Kelsey. She was an older woman with greying hair and a thin frame. She didn't really seem to be powerful but she radiated with a presence that made many eager first years sit down and shut up. She tapped the blackboard with her wand, which was made of a dark red wood. Spiraling words spilled out from where her wand had come into contact with the board and instructions soon readied themselves for the students to follow.

"I'm sure you're all eager to begin and far be it from me to keep you waiting to dive right into magic, but here at Ilvermorny we understand that you need a basic set of instruction. We want you to understand magical fundamentals that will help guide you in your studies here. I know some of you will feel this is beneath you but please try to give it your all and in time you will be given much harder magic to tackle."

She snapped her fingers and several small trinkets appeared in front of the students. One thing that the objects all had in common is that they were broken and seemed to be in various states of decay. She had one in front of her as well.

"The Mending Charm is very useful as it will allow you a chance to repair things that are broken. The spell has some limitations, of course as do most spells. This one you will find is something that will be handy in your life as a witch or wizard and will likely serve you well in your time here at Ilvermorny." she traced her wand in the exact movement described on the board behind her and in a clear voice said " _Reparo_!" the object reassembled itself into pristine condition with a scuttling snap of its various parts.

"Now you will give it a go, make sure that you are paying close attention to your movements." she said tracing her wand in the air and leaving behind a glowing glyph that was vaguely shaped like the letter 'R'.

The students all gave it an attempt with various degrees of success. When it was Alexander's turn he hestiated briefly. This was the first time that he would be performing magic in front of others. The simple spells like Lumos that he had practiced at home under the tutelage of his parents had worked but he hoped that he wasn't going to make a fool of himself. "R-Reparo!" he said sternly. There was a brief moment where nothing happened, which he was grateful for. The pieces did wiggle but then did nothing. He was certain he had made the wand movements correctly.

" _Reparo_!" he said again and once again the trinket lay defiantly broken on the table before him. He sighed and tapped his wand thoughtfully in his hand. He looked at the instructions again and realized what his struggle was. He needed to visualize the object in his mind, picture it perfectly whole and repaired and functioning again. This time he was confident it would work.

The moment he cast his spell however, another students had gone awry. There was a small explosion, a rumor he was told was common for first year students. But it distracted him and threw his incantation off and when he jumped in surprise the spell shot away from him. The little bead of light hit the blackboard squarely. It shuddered and a sudden vortex ripped through the room.

When it all had settled he found to his horror that he was alone in the room. Everyone else was gone. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment. What had possibly caused this? His incantation? His sudden jerky arm movement? He would just be grateful if he managed not to harm anyone else.

"H-hello?" he called out weakly. There wasn't a sign of life. He walked aorund his desk, the trinket lay forgotten. There was a layer of dust on all of the desks like the room hadn't been used in some time.

He cautiously poked his head out into the hallway. Maybe his spell had caused him to slip into a different room in the large Ilvermorny estate. There were many rooms and some of them had strange enchantments placed on them by previous students and faculty and some of them he was told just seemed ot change over time from the countless magical spells being practiced in them over the centuries. The whole air of the place reeked of emptiness and decay.

He checked room after room and found them all to be the same. There wasn't even anyone in the headmaster's office which looked like it had been cleaned out in a hurry. What was going on here?

When his curiosity gave way to despair he found himself wandering the halls calling out names of teachers, classmates, even the House mascots hoping that someone, anyone, would respond to him. He turned a corner and a flicker of movement caught his attention. He followed it around the corner and saw a boy wearing a cloak standing there. He was several years older and his clothing was strangely different. Like he belonged to a different school. He seemed to be looking for someone.

"You shouldn't be here." the other boy said turning and fixing him with a stare. "Nobody is supposed to be here. The place is abandoned. We just use it for initiation pranks, like this one. I was supposed to find something from the previous school and take it to mine. To prove that I was here." he said holding out a dusty book that some kind of ledger from Ilvermorny.

"What happened to this place?" Alexander asked his head swimming.

"Some boy cast a spell once, it cursed the whole school. It was supposed to be a simple spell but the boy was eager and foolishly thought himself a great wizard. I should probably get going. You too, unless you want the Ilvermorny curse to follow you home." the boy stopped for a moment and regarded Alexander coldly. "You sort of look like him. I guess, in a strange way he did become famous. You know, magic is complicated. Its not something that will give you want you want, so perhaps you should be careful what you wish for." the boy turned on his heel with a flap of his robes and a _**crack**_ he was gone. He had apparently Disapparated somewhere else.

Alexander looked down at his wand in awe. Had he done this? Was it his spell that had gotten away from him and ruined the school? He was just a kid. There were safety enchantments in place to protect everyone and furthermore his professor was talented enough she would have been able to put everything back to rights.

His vision swam before him and he felt himself falling face first into nothingness.

When he awoke he was laying on something soft and warm. A face swam into his view. It was Professor Kelsey. He could have hugged her in his excitement. She hadn't changed a day and as his vision cleared he realized nothing had. He was laying in the infirmary very much in the regular school he had left behind.

"Are you alright, Mr. Gray?" she asked as the nurse stopped by his bed to check on him.

"Yes, Professor, I think I am." he said sitting up and realizing in that moment that he had a massive headache. "My head hurts."

"I would imagine so. Mr. Giles cast a rather unfortunate rendition of the Mending Spell and it startled you. Your own Mending Spell went awry and knocked you unconscious." she said and with a chuckle added. "I'm going to need a new blackboard."

"I didn't curse the school or anything? The boy I met...or dreamed rather, made me think I did." he said feeling the weight of the world in his skull.

"Hmm. Dreams are strange, Mr. Gray. Not all of them are bad and not all of them are good. They aren't always a prophecy either. I would wager that you just overstimulated yourself and maybe felt guilt about losing control. Don't worry, this school has survived more disastrous attempts at magic and its still standing strong." she stood up. "You'll take the rest of the afternoon off and I expect you in my class bright and early tomorrow." she said turning to leave.

"Professor." he said and she stopped and half-turned to listened.

"Yes, Alexander?"

"Does wanting to be a great wizard make me foolish?" he asked. She smiled softly at him.

"No, many come here with that intention and some manage to succeed at it. I will tell you this. Once you've learned the basics you will go far here. You have potential. You just need to remember something important. Magic is a tool. We must learn to use it with care and consideration for others. Get some rest, the nurse will not be happy if I linger." then she was gone.

He fell back against his pillow and looked out at the late afternoon sun. How long had been out and why did that dream feel so real? One thing he was sure about. He was going to make sure that he was far more careful with his magic in the future. He wanted to be famous but not because he hurt someone with his magic.


End file.
